Firefighters have pledged to make every home in Wirral safer from fire in the next 12 months.

The bold statement has been made as Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service steps up its Home Fire Safety Check campaign.

The service is now in its 10th year of visiting homes to fit free smoke alarms and offer valuable safety advice.

By the end of its 10th year firefighters will have individually assessed every home in the county.

Councillor Tony Newman, chair of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Authority said: "We have always been ambitious in our plans when it comes to fire safety in the home but this is our most significant step to date.

"We have 250,000 homes to assess in 12 months and we will be pulling out all the stops to make this happen.

The service has put together a series of initiatives to make their plan possible.

There will be 60 community campaigns involving firefighters visiting the highest risk homes in the county.

Each day-long campaign will see up to 800 homes visited by crews.

This is in addition to the daily Home Fire Safety Checks that are currently taking place in every station area.

Those who don’t want a Home Fire Safety Check or who cannot be contacted will be left a guidance pack with information and advice.

Chief Fire Officer Tony McGuirk said: "Ten years ago it was virtually unheard of for firefighters to visit people’s homes and fit free smoke alarms.

"Now it’s an accepted way of life not just in Merseyside but across the country. We are extremely proud to have started that catalyst.

"We have now fitted over 400,000 free smoke alarms. It’s no coincidence that since that time the number of accidental fires in the homes has dramatically reduced and with it deaths and injuries caused by fire.

"But one death is still too many and we will continue to do all we can to prevent fires from happening."

The service has used data about emergency incidents along with lifestyle data to identify the areas that have a higher risk of fire so they can target campaigns where they are needed most.

Volunteers from the Fire Support Network, a charity that supports the work of Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, will leaflet the area in advance to make residents aware what is happening.

The increase in fire safety work by firefighters has helped significantly reduce accidental fires in the homes.

In the last 10 years fires deaths and injuries have reduced, and just as significantly the cost of fires has reduced as the early warning given by smoke alarms has prevented a more serious fire from occurring.

* Since 1999, the number of accidental fires in homes in Merseyside has fallen by 33% (compared to a national average of 20%) * The total casualties in accidental fires in the home has reduced by 60% in the same time (compared to a national average of 20%) * The reduction in fires and fire damage in this time has saved the economy £66.4m (based on fire data information from the Department of Communities and Local Government)